Little joys and cake

My children will be home in a couple of hours. Hugs and excitement and piles of dirty washing will abound! So I am enjoying my last few moments of peace and looking forward to the love that will run through the airline arrival gates. I have friends who say ‘You must miss them so much’ when they are away. I do. But it isn’t an ache-that-can’t-be-filled sort of missing, it is the quiet gaps that highlight their absence. I have had four years to get used to them being absent for a few days or a couple of weeks at a time. I know that when they are with their father, or their grandparents, they are loved, cared for, secure in their place in the world and as safe as they are when they are with me. Instead of being sad I get to just savour a small piece of time for myself. The change to proper autumn weather has meant lovely colours, crisp mornings, and a snuggly bed, all of which has added to that feeling of having a little bubble of time for me.

You would think that after four years I would be good at arranging to fill the time when they are away with all the exciting grown up things I miss out on when I am being a full time single parent. Wrong. While they have been away I have had one lovely dinner with friends, and have done nothing else social! I have started watching a DVD of the TV series ‘Revenge” that a friend lent me, which gave me time to crochet and build on my afghan, but that is about it in terms of being wild and crazy! I am okay with that though. I have put in 10 and 11 hour days in the office to catch up on some big issues I needed to work on, I have sewn, and have tried to get a few credits in the sleep bank! So I think I have used my time well, and am ready to face the return to their routine, school, winter sports, pottery classes, running club, medical appointments, lost lunchboxes, etc!

I had a little bit of joy yesterday when I won the ‘tastiest cake’ competition being run in my office as a fundraiser for Legacy, a charity that supports families of our defence services. I made a Raspberry Ripple Cake – a recipe I found in a magazine 10 years ago that has never failed me (well – except the time when, sleep deprived and pregnant, I put bicarb soda in by mistake). I was so excited to win (a gift voucher for a cake decorating shop) that I announced it at my team meeting – talk about immodest!

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 23cm spring-form tin. Place raspberries in a bowl and lightly crush them, reserving a tablespoon of their juice to make the icing. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Cream butter and sugar in a separate bowl, and then stir in eggs. Gradually add dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream, mixing well after each addition. Spoon about a third of the cake mix into the tin, then spoon over half the crushed raspberries and any remaining juice. Repeat with the next third of the cake mix and the rest of the raspberries, and then top with the remaining cake mix. Bake for 50 minutes – the cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool before turning out and icing. To make the icing, add the melted butter to the reserved tablespoon of raspberry juice. Slowly stir in the sifted icing sugar until the icing is a nice runny consistency and spoon over the cake.

Another little highlight was a lovely evening of reminiscing with my sister, her husband, and friends online after we learnt that a house that we had lived in while we were studying at University had burnt down (which was sad as it was a lovely Federation cottage, but not too bad as no one was hurt). My parents owned it when we lived there, but we shared it with friends, and it remained as a rental for some time after that, so there were many years of great stories to share. As my brother-in-law said – it feels like yesterday, but it was 25 years ago. So nice to have a trip down memory lane with so many laughs (many at each others expense!)

I also managed some sewing – some pencil rolls and an art folder as part of an order for my sister. Once again I was reminded of how much I find sewing to make me feel good about the world. How lucky am I?

To add to my list of joys, today is a public holiday, ANZAC Day, and I have tomorrow off work to spend the day with the children, so I have a four day weekend! Time to play, sew and prepare for the return to school.

3 thoughts on “Little joys and cake”

Mmm, sour cream cakes are lush! Thanks for sharing. I’m with you on missing kids when they are away. If they are in safe hands and having fun, then absence makes the heart grow fonder (and keeps mummy sane!)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Search for:

the little bird

Welcome to a little bird made me! I am Theresa, the little bird who makes things. My other labels include mother of three, owner of dogs, sheep and chickens, grower of plants, autism parent, hoarder of fabric and yarn, retired lawyer, maker of all sorts of things that take my fancy, lover of a good gin and tonic, and tea addict. I am based in rural New South Wales, Australia.

Facebook Posts

I managed to update my online shop today so if you are looking for a two-cup teapot cosy they are now listed. I have finally managed to get the sizing perfected so that they fit a variety of different shaped two-cup teapots! Now to write down the pattern so I can keep making them without reinventing the pattern each time! ... See MoreSee Less

Today’s two cup tea cosy offering has a pom pom on top! It has been years since I made one and I had forgotten how gorgeous they feel! This little cosy will be listed in my shop a little later today but I had to share the pom pom in the meantime! ... See MoreSee Less

I realised recently that I haven’t been making many smaller tea cosies so have been working on some designed to fit two cup teapots. I figured it was time to bring the blossoms back in a smaller version too! ... See MoreSee Less

On International Women’s Day I am celebrating the past achievements of women and my hopes for the future for women. These two young women are growing up in a world where they know that injustice should be called out, that gendered slurs hurt all women even when said in jest, and that equality for all women still requires effort from all of us. In my little pocket of the world I am proud of my girls and the efforts they put into making the world a better place.

(The photo was taken a few years ago when they were costumed for book week- Arkie Sparkles, a young adventurer, and Queen Susan of Narnia, a fierce warrior in her own right.) ... See MoreSee Less